Ethernet local management interface (E-LMI)

Abstract

An Ethernet local management interface (E-LMI) protocol for use at a user-to-network interface (UNI) of a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN) is disclosed. The E-LMI protocol allows configuration and status information for the services at the UNI to be transferred from the MEN to a customer edge device coupled to the MEN at the UNI. Various embodiments involve sending or receiving a message via a User-to-Network Interface (UNI) of a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN). A customer edge device extracts configuration and status information for the services at the UNI from a received message. The configuration and status information can correspond to a multipoint Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC).

1. A method comprising:
 receiving a message via a User-to-Network Interface (UNI) of a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN); 
 extracting configuration information from the message, wherein the configuration information describes which of a plurality of Ethernet Virtual Connections (EVCs) are currently active EVCs an attribute at the UNI, the message is encapsulated in an Ethernet frame, and the Ethernet frame comprises a source address; 
 storing the configuration information in a configuration information store at a customer edge device; 
 controlling operations of the customer edge device to only send traffic on the MEN through the currently active EVCs identified by the configuration information to use the service, based on the configuration information store, wherein the receiving, the extracting, the storing, and the controlling are performed by the customer edge device that is coupled to the MEN at the UNI; and 
 sending a message requesting an additional portion of a status report via the UNI in response to a report type field indicating that the status report spans multiple messages. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the Ethernet frame comprises a type field, and 
 a value of the type field identifies the Ethernet frame as a Local Management Interface (LMI) frame. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the message comprises a message type field and a report type field. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein
 the message type field identifies one of:
 a status message, and 
 a status inquiry message. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the Ethernet frame comprises a destination address, the destination address having a value, and 
 the value identifying that the Ethernet frame should not be forwarded. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the message comprises one or more information elements, 
 one of the information elements comprises a flag, and 
 the method further comprises:
 determining whether the information element spans multiple messages based on the flag. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the message comprises information identifying each of a plurality of locations of customer edge devices coupled by a multipoint Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein
 the information identifies a state of a connection to each of the customer edge devices. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein
 the information identifies each of a plurality of UNIs comprised in the multipoint EVC. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein
 the multipoint EVC is a point-to-multipoint EVC, and 
 the information identifies whether each of the UNIs is a leaf UNI or a root UNI. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein
 the message comprises additional information identifying one of:
 an ingress bandwidth profile of the UNI, 
 a state of the UNI, 
 a state of an EVC, 
 an ingress bandwidth profile of the EVC, and 
 a bandwidth profile of a Class of Service (CoS). 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 sending a status inquiry message via the UNI, wherein 
 the message is received in response to the sending. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein
 the status inquiry message identifies link integrity verification. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 sending the status inquiry message in response to expiration of a first timer. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining that a link is failed if a response to the status inquiry message is not received before expiration of a second timer. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein
 the status inquiry message is sent in response to detecting that the customer edge device has powered up. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable to:
 detect reception of a message via a User-to-Network Interface (UNI) of a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN); 
 extract configuration information from the message, wherein the configuration information describes which of a plurality of Ethernet Virtual Connections (EVCs) are currently active EVCs at the UNI, the message is encapsulated in an Ethernet frame, and the Ethernet frame comprises a source address; 
 store the configuration information in a configuration information store at a customer edge device; 
 control operations of the customer edge device to only send traffic on the MEN through the currently active EVCs identified by the configuration information based on the configuration information store, wherein the receiving, the extracting, the storing, and the controlling are performed by the customer edge device that is coupled to the MEN at the UNI; and 
 sending a message requesting an additional portion of a status report via the UNI in response to a report type field indicating that the status report spans multiple messages. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein
 the Ethernet frame comprises a type field, and 
 a value of the type field identifies the Ethernet frame as a Local Management Interface (LMI) frame. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein
 the message comprises a message type field and a report type field. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein
 the message comprises information identifying each of a plurality of locations of customer edge devices coupled by a multipoint Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). 
 
     
     
       21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein
 the information identifies a state of a connection to each of the customer edge devices. 
 
     
     
       22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein
 the information identifies each of a plurality of UNIs comprised in the multipoint EVC. 
 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein
 the multipoint EVC is a point-to-multipoint EVC, and 
 the information identifies whether each of the UNIs is a leaf UNI or a root UNI. 
 
     
     
       24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein
 the message comprises additional information identifying one of:
 an ingress bandwidth profile of the UNI, 
 a state of the UNI, 
 a state of an EVC, 
 an ingress bandwidth profile of the EVC, and 
 a bandwidth profile of a Class of Service (CoS). 
 
 
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
 send a status inquiry message via the UNI, wherein 
 the message is received in response to the status inquiry. 
 
     
     
       26. A system comprising:
 means for detecting reception of a message via a User-to-Network Interface (UNI) of a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN); 
 means for extracting configuration information from the message, wherein the configuration information describes which of a plurality of Ethernet Virtual Connections (EVCs) are currently active EVCs an attribute at the UNI, the message is encapsulated in an Ethernet frame, and the Ethernet frame comprises a source address; 
 means for storing the configuration information in a configuration information store at a customer edge device; 
 means for controlling operations of the customer edge device to only send traffic on the MEN through the currently active EVCs identified by the configuration information use the service, based on the configuration information store, wherein the receiving, the extracting, the storing, and the controlling are performed by the customer edge device that is coupled to the MEN at the UNI; and 
 sending a message requesting an additional portion of a status report via the UNI in response to a report type field indicating that the status report spans multiple messages. 
 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 26 , wherein
 the Ethernet frame comprises a type field, and 
 a value of the type field identifies the Ethernet frame as a Local Management Interface (LMI) frame. 
 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 27 , wherein
 the message comprises a message type field and a report type field. 
 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 28 , wherein
 the message comprises information identifying each of a plurality of locations of customer edge devices coupled by a multipoint Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). 
 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 29 , wherein
 the information identifies a state of a connection to each of the customer edge devices. 
 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 29 , wherein
 the information identifies each of a plurality of UNIs comprised in the multipoint EVC. 
 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 31 , wherein
 the multipoint EVC is a point-to-multipoint EVC, and 
 the information identifies whether each of the UNIs is a leaf UNI or a root UNI. 
 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 29 , wherein
 the message comprises additional information identifying one of:
 an ingress bandwidth profile of the UNI, 
 a state of the UNI, 
 a state of an EVC, 
 an ingress bandwidth profile of the EVC, and 
 a bandwidth profile of a Class of Service (CoS). 
 
 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 send a status inquiry message via the UNI, wherein 
 the message is received in response to the status inquiry.